Cold War Service Campaign Marker Information

Why is there a Cold War marker when that is not recognized as a war or campaign by the
Department of Defense?
The Cold War is the war that wasn’t. Tensions in political and economic aspirations between
the two remaining world powers after World War II, the former allies in defeating Germany, the
United States and the Soviet Union, were the cause for this intense forty year rivalry. The high
stakes of destruction and death posed by an actual war between these nuclear weapons armed
powers with huge conventional forces meant that the two never fought each other directly, but
instead used proxies in their rivalry. Hence the term Cold War was coined to show the world
was neither in a state of peace nor war. Because there was never a declaration of war, or even
a declaration of support for military action, as was attained for the conflicts in Korea and
Vietnam (both of which could be considered major battles in the overarching Cold War), there
has never been an official recognition of this as a conflict. Nonetheless, in the perception of the
people at that time and among historians there is an agreement that for over forty years the US
military was locked in a hot rivalry of a Cold War with the Soviet Union. Hundreds of military
members died or were wounded directly from the actions of Cold War foes (beyond the tens of
thousands who died in Korea and Vietnam and are recognized separately), in accidents during
training and exercises to ensure military readiness associated with the Cold War, and the
millions who served during this period in case the Cold War turned hot as many feared.

What happened during the Cold War to make us call it a War?

The United States followed a strategy called “containment” which prevented the Soviet Union
from expanding in what was perceived as a drive for world domination including Eastern
Europe, China, North Korea, Mongolia, North Vietnam, Cuba, Laos, and Cambodia which fell
into their sphere of influence. Containment meant matching or bettering the Soviet Union in
everything from nuclear missiles (“the missile gap” of the early 1960s) to science (the race for
space starting with the Soviet Sputnik in 1957 and ending with Apollo 11 moon landing in 1969),
to sports (the “Miracle on Ice” of the US hockey team beating the Soviets during the winter
Olympics of 1980), to diplomacy where billions of dollars were given to win over the support of
“Third World” countries – those who did not fall into the “First World” or the US sphere of
capitalism and democracy, or the “Second World” of the Soviet Union sphere of communism
and authoritarian states. For the military, the conflicts in Korea (1950-1953) and Vietnam (1962-
1973) were battles in the Cold War, since Congress never declared war in either (see separate
articles for both of these here in the Veterans Memorial site). There were many smaller direct
rivalries between the two including the 1948-49 Soviet blockade of Berlin, the 1949 ratification of
the American-affiliated North Atlantic Treaty Organization, 1950 US Congress anti-communist
hunts, the downing of a US U-2 surveillance plane over the Soviet Union in 1961, 1954 CIA
overthrow of unfriendly regimes in Iran and Guatemala, the Soviet-affiliated Warsaw Pact Treaty
formed in 1954, Soviet crushing of a Hungarian revolt in 1956, the Cuban Bay of Pigs invasion
of 1961 and Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962, 1968 Czechoslovakian revolt against the Soviet
Union, Strategic Arms Limitation Talks in 1972 and 1979, Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in
1980, boycott of the Moscow Olympics in 1980, intentional shoot down of a civilian airliner in
1983 by Soviet forces, President Reagan proposes Strategic Defense Initiative, the Berlin Wall
and communist governments in East Europe fall in 1989, and in 1991 the Warsaw Pact ends
and Soviet Union dissolved.

Why do 1948 and 1991 represent the Cold War dates?

Since there was no formal declaration of the start of the Cold War, its start date is open to
historic debate. However the date used at this memorial was based on the beginning of the
Soviet blockade of Berlin on 24 June 1948 (the start of the Allied Airlift to relieve the city
resulting in the one campaign streamer used on this marker). The end date marks the formal
dissolution of the Soviet Union on 26 December 1991 into 15 new independent countries.

Is the ribbon on the plaque for the Cold War?

No official campaign medal or ribbon was given for the Cold War, since it was not recognized as
a campaign or war by the Department of Defense. However, as this Memorial accumulates
sub-campaigns under one marker, such as done with the Maritime Protection of the Republic
and Expeditionary Service markers, the Cold War marker recognizes the Berlin Airlift campaign
from 1948-1949 with its ribbon. Other major Cold War campaign ribbons are also found on the
Korea Service, Vietnam Service, and Expeditionary Service markers.

How do I get a Cold War Recognition Certificate for my service?

Although no campaign streamer for the Cold War itself have been authorized, veterans and
DOD federal employees who honorably served from 2 September 1945 to 26 December 1991
will be awarded a Cold War Recognition Certificate by following these easy guidelines:

- Prepare, date, and sign a letter, requesting the award of the Cold War Recognition Certificate.
Your letter must contain the phrase "I certify that my service was honorable and faithful". A
sample letter can be found at: http://usmilitary.about.com/od/theorderlyroom/l/blcoldwarltr.htm
- You will need proof of your service, such as a COPY of your DD Form 214 (Record of Military
Service). Do not send the original of your proof of service, send a copy. Original
documentation will not be returned.
- Send the letter and a copy of your proof of service to: Cold War Recognition, 4035 Ridge Top
Road, Fairfax, Virginia 22030-7445, or fax the letter and proof to: 1-800-723-9262.

Compiled in 2013 for the Silver Spring Veterans Memorial, PA. comments to bouchatc@hotmail.com